The invention is directed to a spindle press. More particularly, the present invention relates to a vertically arranged spindle press for pressing put fluid from a material, for example sugar beet pulp, which has a housing with an upper part including a spray casing and a screen casing forming an annular space for guiding away pressed out fluid therebetween, and also a lower part; a press spindle rotatably supported in the housing by upper and lower bearings, dewatering means connected with the annular space between the casings and with the interior of the hollow press spindle, filling means for feeding the material to be pressed into the upper part, and a drive which includes drive means and a drive pipe rotatable by the drive means and rotating the spindle.
In a known spindle press of this type (DE-OS No. 26 41 597), which is constructed as a beet pulp press, the drive pipe 6 is constructed as one piece and has a disadvantageously large length, since the lower part 10, 13 has a disadvantageously large overall height. An upper bearing of the spindle body 1 is not disclosed. The lower bearing 8 is located very low below the spindle body 1 at the lower end of the lower part 10, 13 and is connected with a bearing ring 7 which is fastened approximately at the longitudinal center of the drive pipe 6. Thus, the upper half of the drive pipe 6 is loaded not only by the driving torque, but also, in addition, by alternating axial forces from the inherent weight and the operation of the press spindle, including the material to be pressed. Therefore, at least this upper half must be laid out in a correspondingly more expensive manner. With respect to maintenance, assembly and repair, it is disadvantageous that the clearing wings 23 are fastened at the drive pipe 6. Another disadvantage, which also causes increased expenditure with respect to construction, is the collection and removal of the pressed out fluid in the lower part 10, 13 in two planes 27, 28 and 31, 32, 33 which are at a distance from one another in the axial direction, and the collection and removal of the pressed material in a third vertical plane 22, 23. Also, the step-up gear unit 5 of the drive arrangement is held so as to be fixed against relative rotation. Repairs, assembly and maintenance of the entire lower press area from the step-up gear unit 5 to the spindle body 1 are complicated and costly.